CHAPTER XI
PASSIVE REBELLION
WHEN the storm burst in Egypt, Sir Reginald Wingate (who was still High Commissioner., though he never returned to Cairo) was in England, having left Sir Milne Cheetham in charge of the Residency, and whilst it was raging at its worst, General Allenby, who had been summoned over by the British Plenipotentiaries to the Peace Conference in his capacity of Commander-in-Chief in Egypt and Syria, was in Paris. As the news grew from day to day more ominous, British Ministers had at last to admit that there was an Egyptian question, and that they were face to face, not with a mere frothy agitation to be put down by the deportation of a few leaders, but with a widespread and indeed national upheaval throughout the country. Never having had any policy and still too busy with other matters to conceive one, they no doubt thought themselves fortunate in having ready at hand a " strong man " who would tide them over the crisis. General Allenby was sent straight back to Cairo, having spent only two days in Paris, as Special High Commissioner. In the curious phraseology of his instructions, he was " directed to exercise supreme authority in all matters military and civil, to take all such measures as he considers necessary and expedient to restore law and order, and to administrate in all matters as required by the necessity of maintaining the King's Protectorate over Egypt on a secure and equitable basis."
190nsibility had they flinched before the whirlwind when it came and plunged Egypt into anarchy. We owed it to Egypt to rescue her from anarchy, and she was rescued.s, to relax the restrictions on move* after dark. . . ."